I just got back from a trip with about 70 images in RAW format from my new Olympus E-1 (received day before I left). First impression using both the 14-55 mm lens and 50-200 mm lens- very logical and pleasant to use, controls well placed and intuitive. First blush of images are very promising - I'm already noting certain type shots (backlit sunset) as sharper and less noise than The DRebel I was using (not that the DRebel wasn't good...). I'm getting familiar with software (works well) and making my first Epson 2200 PSE print as I write this. More to come...... (I also wonder what a 8 megapixel processor would look like with these lenses!)

Purely out of interest (I'm using Nikon at the mo so this is just hypothesising!) with the 4/3rds system, how does olympus plan to develop higher resolution cameras (10 - 12 megapixel) with the smaller CCD, as everyone seems to agree more pixels crammed onto a small area results in hot pixels and noise

Nikon seem to be in the same boat I think, with no DSLR over 6mp at the moment, and with so much money invested in DX lens format a full frame sensor seems out of the question. I know they've banged on about the LBCast chip reducing noise but reviews of the D2H implied it was no better than the original Canon 1D for noise

Anyway thats off the point I guess, just I can't see how Olympus or Nikon in this case will capture the higher end market without full frames sensors, unless there is something magical they have up their sleeves to work with the smaller sensors!

The next 4:3 camera from Olympus will be a ***CONSUMER VERSION***, and should be out in the fall (at least before Christmas). That info was weasled out of Olympus at an E-1 seminar I was at. So that means less, not more features, and probably slower processing.